Freezing container



WW f.

1932- R. H CHILTON 1,873,287

I FREEZING CONTAINER -Filed Sept. 20, 1950 INVENTOR 7 Pal 22h h! Chilzon 1 34; ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH H. GBILTON, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OIE DELAWARE FREEZING Application filed September 20, 1930. Serial No. 483,226.

This invention relates to freezing containers, especially such as are adapted to be used within the freezing compartments of domestic refrigerators.

Flexible rubber ice freezing trays are now.

being used which have relatively thin flexible rubber partitions therein to define ice block compartments and to provide for easy ejection of the frozen ice blocks by flexing or deforming the tray and partitions. It has been found that it requires considerably longer time to freeze ice in such rubber trays than in metal trays of substantially the same size and form.

Now the general object of this invention is to provide a flexible rubber freezing tray with hollow air-circulating partitions therein in such a way as to greatly increase the rate of freezing of the contents without materially adversely affecting the easy ejection feature.

Another'object is to provide such a freezing tray having one or more double-walled open-top sheet metal air-circulating partitions for providing free circulation of cold air in between the compartments of said tray. Such hollow metal partitions may be secured to the flexible rubber bottom of the tray and extend substantially to but be detached from the side walls thereof whereby to permit easy upward distortion of said bottom to eject the frozen contents.

Another object is to provide simple and efiicient means for securing the hollow metal partitions in 1place in the tray without probability of lea age at the bottom of the tray.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an ice freezing tray for domestic refrigerators made according to this invention. 7

Fig. 2 is-a transverse section taken on line 2-42 of Fig.1.

I Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

metal parts 13 welded or otherwise rigidly fixed thereto and projecting outwardly and forming suitable attaching means for fixing the closure front 14 and handle 15 to the traybody 10, whereby the entire tray may be rigidlysupported from the handle 15. Front 14 and handle 15 are shown as being integrally molded from soft flexible rubber and having a U-shaped metal wire reinforce 16 therein, which wire 16 has outwardly projecting threaded ends passing through eyes in the two metal parts 13 and rigidly fixed thereto by the nuts 17 This much of the disclosed structure is old and no claim is made thereto in this application.

Now according to this invention the body 10 has two longitudinally extending hollow metal partitions 20 which are suitably secured to the flexible bottom 21 of the rubber body 10 so that they may be moved relative to the rigid frame 11 by flexing the bottom 21 upwardly. Preferably partltions 20 are formed from thin sheet metal of good heat conductivity. They may be efliciently and cheaply made by bending the metal blank to U-section (as shown in Fig. 2) and then crimping the ends together and soldering or welding (as shown at 22 Fig. 1) in order to form closed ends to the hollow double-walled partitions 20.

A simple means for securing partitions 20 to the rubber bottom 21 is illustrated in 'Fig.

welded to the bottoms of partitions 20 and may extend the full length thereof, or obvi-- '2. Narrow metal plates 23 are soldered or v i of thepartitions 20 to said bottom. "The transverse flexible rubber partitions ;25 are.

,also integrally molded at the time of molding the body 10. Hence the edges of rubber partitions 25 will be vulcanized to the walls of metal partitions 20 when they contact same. The ends of metal partitions 20 as well as the rubber partitions 25 are not secured to the side walls of body 10 but are separated therefrom by narrow slits 30. Preferably these slits 30 extend straight up from the marginal fillet of the bottom-21. Additional tapered webs 26 may be formed integral with the side walls of body 10 and aligned with the partitions and at the slits 30 and form in efl'ect continuations thereof. Now since the metal partitions 20 are individually attached to the bottom 21 and are not secured to the side walls of body 10 it will be clear that the bottom 21 of the container may be quite easily flexed u ward to loosen an '20 may be flexed in either direction a slight amount. If necessary in any case, the upper edges of the two metal walls where they project above the normal water level 40 of a partition 20 may be pressed together slig tly with the fingers in order to loosen the ice blocks therefrom before the bottom 21 is water to be frozen, and

flexed upward as described above.

During the freezing of the contents of container 10 the cold air, being relatively hea will displace the warmer air within the ho low recesses of partitions 20 and thud a free circulation of cold air will be obtained to ive a rapid transfer of heat from the water in the container to the cold air thereabove. In other words, the hollow partitions 20 act as cold air ducts passin through the bod of ee circulation 0 air is obtained due to partitions 20. being fully open at the top. In the drawing. the hollow metal partitions 20 have been shown as extending the long dimensionof the body 10, but obviously separate hollow metal partitions could replace the transverse partitions 25 thereb giving a still eater cooling surface and nce more rapi freezing In such a form of tray longitudinal artitionsof flexible rubber may be providecfif it is desired to divide the tray into substantial cubical compartments, however they may be omitted. en tirel-y and then bars of ice the width of the body 10 will be obtained. Such transverse' bars of ice may be readil removed separately in the manner describe above.

The eneral principle; of this invention is not linnted to making the hollow partitions remove the frozen ice looks from the bility. of leakage at the bottom openings since the double walls of the hollow partition will Eedintegrally molded with the bottom of the While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutesa preferred form, it is to be understood that ot er forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A freezing tray comprising: a container having molded flexible rubber side walls and bottom, and an air-circulating hollow metal partition dividing said container into compartments, said partition being supported by said flexible rubber bottom whereby it may be moved with said bottom to facilitate ejection of frozen contents of said container.

. 2. A freezing tray comprising: a container having molded flexible rubber side walls and bottom, and an air-circulating hollow partition dividing said container into compartments, said partition terminating close to but detached from the side walls of said container.

3. A freezing tray comprising: a container having molded flexible rubber side walls and bottom, and an air-circulating hollow partition dividing said container into compartments, said partition being formed of sheet metal bent to substantial U-shape with closed ends and having its open upper edge projecting materially above the normal water level in said container.

. 4. A freezing tray comprising: a container having molded flexible rubber side walls and bottom, and a plurality of hollow metal partitions arranged in parallel and secured to said flexible rubber bottom whereby to provide cold air circulation spaces between the compartments formed by said partitions.

5. A freezing tray comprising: a container having molded flexible rubber side walls and bottom, and a plurality of double-walled open-top hollow metal partitions arranged in spaced positions therein whereb to provide cold air circulation between t e compartments formed by said partitions.

6. A freezing container having flexible side walls and bottom, and a double-walled open- Ill top hollow metal partition dividin said container into compartments and providing cold air circulating space between said compartments.

names? hollow partition therein secured to said bottom but substantially detached from said side walls whereby said partition may be moved relative to said side walls to facilitate ejection of frozen contents from said container.

8. A freezing container having flexible side walls and bottom and a plurality of flex1ble non-metallic partltions therein, and a doublewalled metal hollow partition extendin transverse said non-metallic partitions an dividing said container into compartments said metal partition being secured to said flexible bottom but substantially detached from said side walls, whereby to facilitate u ward distortion of said bottom to eject t e frozen contents.

9. A molded rubber freezing container having integrally molded flexible side walls and bottom and a plurality of flexible rubber partitions therein, and a hollow aircirculatin metal partition extending transverse sai rubber partitions and secured in place by being molded in situ as an insert when said container is molded. a

10. A freezing tray comprising: a container having flexible rubber side walls and bottom and a metal partition dividing said container into compartments and secured to and supported by said rubber bottom, said metal partition terminating close to but substantlally detached from said rubber side walls of the container whereby to facilitate the relative upward movement of said bottom and metal partition to remove the frozen contents from the container.

11. A freezing tray comprising a container having flexible rubber side walls and bottom and a metal partition dividing said container into compartments said partition having a supporting metal base attached to said rubher bottom, said metal partition terminatin close to but substantially detached from sai rubber side walls of the container whereby to facilitate the relative upward movement of said bottom and metal artition to remove the 7 frozen contents from t e container.

in testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

RALPH H. CHILTON. 

